Samsung to be the First Manufacturer to Release LTE Enabled Phones

Samsung recently posted a position for an LTE RIL (Radio Interface Layer) Engineer based out of Bridgewater, New Jersey. The mandate of the position is to add LTE support to Android leading us to believe that Samsung will be the first to offer LTE enabled handsets.

Verizon and MetroPCS both have LTE network development projects in the works but what we have been missing is a device capable of taking advantage of these higher wireless transfer rates. Android currently only supports GSM and CDMA which accounts for the vast majority of available north american carrier offerings with the exception of the HTC EVO 4G and Samsung Epic 4G which both work on WiMAX, hence the 4G.

Samsung does not own many patents for GSM or CDMA devices as compared to Nokia and Qualcomm. They do however, lead the industry in LTE patents. They also manufacture LCDs, OLEDs, application processors, system memory, and microSD cards allowing them to make money even when their own product takes a dive. With the future heading towards LTE enabled networks, Samsung is positioning itself to charge royalties for use of it’s LTE patented technologies. MetroPCS has already teamed up with Samsung to create the Craft, an LTE enabled smart phone as seen in the above picture.